Adjustable feed for pneumatic tool lubricators



, y 7, 1936- 4 J. w. ARNOLD 2,046,313

ADJUSTABLE FEED FOR PNEUMATIC TOOL LUBRICATORS Filed Feb. 25, 1935 I N V EN TOR. L/OHN W 140M132 A TTORNEYS.

Patented July 7, 1936 PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE FEED FOR PNEUMATIC TOOL LUBBICATORS John W. Arnold, San Francisco, Calif. Application February 25, 1935, Serial No. 8,198

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in adiustable feed for pneumatic tool lubricators, and

' it consists of the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereinafter described and 5 claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide an improvement over the form of my invention shown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 676,378, filed June 17, 1933, for a lubricator for pneumatic tools. In the co-pending case I show a feed plug 1 having an opening of a predetermined size. If it is desired to change the size of the opening, the plug is removed, and another one is substituted with the opening of the de- 15 sired size.

In the present form of the invention I obviate the disadvantage of substituting different plugs for changing the oil feed opening, and instead I provide an adjustable oil feed opening. 20 This one plug will adapt the device to handle different kinds of lubricants. The plug has a valve, and this valve may be manually adjusted for changing the size of the opening in the plug. Markings are provided on the plug casing, and 25 an indicator is carried by the valve. The valve is of the rotary type and the indicator will move over the markings for showing the size of the opening.

Other objects and advantages will appear in 30 the following specification, and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, 35 in which Figure l is a longitudinal section through the lubricator showing the adjustable feed plug in elevation;

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of 40 Figure 1, also showing the plug in elevation;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the plug; Figure 4 is a section along the line 44 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the plug valve. In carrying out my invention I make use of the lubricator shown in my co-pending application. This lubricator comprises a casing I having an airpassage 2 leading therethrough, this passage being provided with threaded ends 3 and 50 4. The air hose, not shown, leading to the tool is connected to the threaded ends 3 and 4 so that the air will flow through the passage 2 in a pulsating manner when the tool is used.

Above the air passage 2, I provide an oil com- 55 partment 5. The top of this compartment has a threaded opening 6, which is normally closed by a cover 1. During the operation of the tool, the oil or other lubricant in the compartment 5 is fed into the air passage 2 and is conveyed by the air to the tool for lubricating purposes.

The present invention comprises an adjustable feed plug which is disposed between the compartment 5 and the passage 2, and feeds the lubricant to the passage 2 in a predetermined manner. The wall 8 that separates the com- 10 partment 5 from the passage 2 has an opening 9 therein, and this opening is threaded and removably receives a plug casing l0 of the shape shown in the Figures 1 and 3. The casing ID has a threaded lower portion 1 I which is screwed into the opening 9, and it has an enlarged portion or body I2 that rests upon the upper surface of the wall 8. Thebody I2 has an outwardly extending flange l3, and the top OI this flange is provided with numbers IA indicating sizes of openings, and further carries an upstanding pin 15. The numbers may indicate any sized opening desired, and in the drawing they are in multiples of five, and stand for thousands of an inch.

Figure 4 shows the plug casing 10 as being provided with an inlet opening Hi, this opening extendingwadially inwardly through the body l2. The threaded portion ll of the plug has an outlet opening II. The inlet opening l6 and the outlet opening II are made of the largest size to which the adjustable feed plug is to be opened. For example, in Figure 3, one of the markings I4 is 30, and this indicates an opening of 30/1000 of an inch. The openings l6 and II will therefore be 30/1000 of an inch in diameter.

Within the body I2 of the plug casing I0, I rotatably dispose a valve 18. Figure 4 shows this valve as being circular in cross-section, and as having a recess [9 in its under surface. An opening inthe rim portion 2| formed by the recess 19 communicates with the inlet opening 16.. The opening 20 is of the same size as the opening I6, and it will be apparent that when the openings l6 and 20 are aligned, the flow of lubricant through the plug will be equal to the amount of lubricant that can pass through an opening /1000 of an inch in diameter.

Figure 5 shows the outer surface 22 of the valve.|8 as being provided with a spiral groove 23 leading from the opening 20. The groove 23 makes substantially one complete revolution on the surface 22, and during this almost complete revolution the groove advances itself the distance of the diameter of the opening 20. It will be 55 seen from this that when the valve i8 is rotated into different positions the oil or other lubricant will enter the inlet opening I6, and then will pass into the groove '23, and find its way to the opening 20, whereupon the lubricant will enter the compartment I9, and then pass through the outlet opening I1, and into the passage 2 As the valve I8 is turned for moving the opening 20 away from the opening [6 in a clock-wise direction when looking at Figure 3, the opening I6 will gradually be cut off by the groove 23 so that the effective opening will be reduced in the manner indicated by the markings [4 in Figure 3. When the valve l8 has made one complete revolution in a clock-wise direction in Figure 3, the groove 23 will be out of alignment with the opening I6, and the plug opening will be closed.

I provide an indicator 24 on the valve l8, see Figure 3, and this indicator moves over the markings l4 and shows the effective size of the opening [6. The pin I5 prevents the valve I8 from being moved through more than one revolution. If desired the expressions Closed and Open indicated by the reference numerals 25 and 26 respectively may be marked on the flange l3 adjacent to the pin I5. I

It'is possible to make the adjustment of the valve l8 while the lubricant is still in the compartment 5. In accomplishing this the cover 1 is removed and a screw driver is inserted through the opening 6, and the end of the screw driver is placed in a kerf 21 in the top of the valve IS. A rotation of the screw driver will now rotate the valve, and a desired opening can be obtained by noting the position of the indicator 24 with respect to .the markings [4. The lubricant is generally clear enough to permit the operator to see the markings I4.

The valve I 8 is removably held in the body I2 by a split wire 28, see Figure 4. This wire is partially received in a groove 29 in the body l2, and the other portion of the wire bears against the top of a shoulder 30' in the valve l8.. The valve can be rotated but cannot be moved axially. The spring wire also yieldingly holds the valve against accidental rotational movement.

The lubricator is used in the same manner as that setforth in the co-pending application.

The sides of the lubricator casing I are inclined as at 3|, and the bottom of the lubricator is flat as at 32, while the top is rounded as at 33. This particular shape of the lubricator casing causes it to remain in an upright position while being moved from place to place with the hose.

I claim:

1. An adjustable feed plug comprising a casing having an inlet opening in its side wall and an outlet opening in its bottom, a rotatable valve having a, recess in its bottom overlying the outlet opening, the recess being bounded by a' rim that has an opening adapted to be brought into registration with the inlet opening, the rim having a spiral groove in its outer surface for changing the eifective opening of the inlet, means removably holding the valve against axial movement in the casing, said means yieldingly holding the valve against accidental rotational provided between the inlet and outlet openings in the casing, said body having a spiral groove in its outer surface with one end communicating with the opening in the body, the other end of the groove being spaced the diameter of the inlet opening away from the first mentioned and.

3. An adjustable feed plug comprising a casing provided with an inlet and an outlet, a valve body disposed between the inlet and outlet and held against axial m'ovement'in the casing, said body being provided with an opening placing the inlet in communication with the outlet when the body is in a certain position, said body having a groove extending from the body opening and designed to gradually restrict,the eilfective opening of the inlet as the body is moved for moving the body opening away from the inlet, the groove finally moving out of registration with the body as the body is moved, whereby communication is cut 011' between the inlet and outlet openings.

JOHN W. ARNOLD. 

